A Gift
by petnurser
Summary: Amanda has something on her mind....Complete
1. Lee

****

Disclaimer: Not mine, they belong to others. 

****

When: Late January 1988. Everyone knows that they are married.

****

Summary: Something is on Amanda's mind....

****

Notes: Feedback is welcome.

I wish he wouldn't watch me like that. Does he know how much it still unnerves me when he watches me dress. I guess that it shouldn't bother me, I mean we are married and he has certainly seen me in fewer clothes than this, but his eyes. There is so much feeling behind those hazel eyes. Makes me want to fly to his side and demand that he make love to me here and now. But we have to get to that party. I don't want to go. The spicy food and loud music, and I don't know the language. We can probably go after we meet our contact. That can't come soon enough, I have something really important to tell him tonight..........

God, how beautiful she is. I know that me watching her makes her really uncomfortable. I just can't stop. I wasted so much damn time just to recognize the depth of my love for this woman that I don't want to waste any more time with her. I just want to hold her and make love to her all night long. I don't want to go to that party. There was a day that I would have really would have enjoyed going tonight. I like spicy foods and I can stumble along with the language. But tonight, I can't wait to meet our contact and get home with my wife, I know there is something on her mind........

They arrived at the Embassy at the agreed upon time. Lee went to meet their contact while Amanda spoke with Francine, who was overseeing security.

"So, have you told him yet?" Francine asked with a wicked twinkle in her eye. She had overheard Amanda's telephone conversation with her doctor earlier today.

"I haven't gotten the time yet. Later on tonight." Amanda replied. Goodness, she was tired.

"Who would have thought it just a short time ago...Scarecrow a fath...."

"A what, Francine?" Lee said as he snuck up behind the women.

"A...a...happily married man, Lee," Francine stammered. "I have to see to the security crew. See you Monday at the office." 

Lee decided that he would question her Monday. The agent turned to his agent-wife and simply said, "Ready?" He saw the fatigue on her face and just wanted to get her home.

She said yes with a twinkle in her eye and he hoped that despite the fact that she seemed really tired lately, the evening wasn't over.

They rode in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Lee was dreaming about the night to come and their future nights. Lee was no blushing virgin when they married, sex was nothing new to him. But, making love to Amanda had brought a whole new dimension to something that was to him, before their wedding night, purely physical. They had been married for ten months and he still couldn't believe that they had kept their raging hormones in check until they were married. They had discussed making love more than once. Surprisingly, Amanda seemed more aggressive to consummate their relationship than Lee was, not that he didn't want to, and he had almost given in on more than one occasion. For the first time in his life, he saw his lover's views regarding sex and was determined to wait. He also learned that being a lover meant more than just sleeping together. In retrospect, though, it made their wedding night very special to both of them. The first time that they had experienced this form of sharing and giving of each other. The memories of that night would always bring a smile to his face. Amanda's ideas about love and sex were conservative, no doubting that. But in that bridal suite, she showed him a passion that was anything but. Amanda, on the other hand, was dreaming about a night five weeks ago. Lee had just gotten home from an overseas assignment. The boys were spending the night at Joe's and Mother was out with Kurt. Lee had been gone for a week under a no-contact order. Billy didn't want to send him but the assignment involved Lee's "family" and he was the only man for the job. When he got home, there was no thought about the consequences or timing. It felt like they had been apart forever and they would not be denied. They had spent the night in each other's arms giving to each other until they fell asleep at dawn, both spent. Earlier today she had confirmed the results of that night. Her hand unconsciously moved to her abdomen and she smiled. 

"Happy?" Lee asked his pre-occupied wife.

"Huh? Yea. Just thinking of how much I love you."

"I love you, too, Mrs. Stetson."

They rode the rest of the way in silence. When they got home, Lee lit the fireplace and Amanda went upstairs. She put on a nice nightgown, blue, and matching robe. and retrieved the gift she had gotten him out from under her pillow. Gosh, she hoped that he would be as happy about this as she was. They hadn't really discussed it. 

When she got downstairs, the fireplace was glowing, Lee was pouring the wine and a light snow began falling on this January night in Arlington, Virginia. A faint frown crossed her lips, she shouldn't be drinking alcohol right now. He noticed the expression on her face and wondered what it meant. She quickly changed her expression and showed her husband the sleepy, happy look that he loved.

Amanda handed Lee the package and said nothing. He smiled, he always loved Amanda's presents, and tore into the pink paper after taking off the blue ribbon. Opening the box, a confused expression came across his face, then understanding, then surprise. A single tear traveled down each cheek as he kissed his wife in joy. The gift, a nursing bottle with those cute cartoon characters on it, lay forgotten on the coffee table. Dotty or the boys would find it in the morning and there would be some explaining to do. But now, all was right with the world. He picked her up and carried her to their bedroom, where sleepiness overtook her and she fell into a deep sleep. His Amanda, who had already given him his life back, would soon be giving him a child.


	2. Dotty and the boys

Dotty West woke earlier than anyone else in the house. She made a pot of coffee and gathered the ingredients to make her family breakfast. Because it was Saturday, the boys didn't have to go to school and spies didn't always have to work on the weekends, did they? At least on the weekends, they had managed to get Lee to eat breakfast. How could that man be so active and not eat a good breakfast? Dotty didn't think she would ever figure it out. The coffee was soon done and she moved into the family room to read the morning paper. As Dotty started to spread the paper on the coffee table she noticed the small mess of pink paper and blue ribbon. Then she saw the small box that held the nursing bottle. So, that's why Amanda has been so tired and hasn't been feeling well lately. Dotty's heart leapt in her chest. Another baby to love and cherish! Just then she heard footsteps on the stairs. She quickly gathered the gift and its wrappings and, lacking a good place to hide it, shoved it all behind a sofa cushion.

She looked into the eyes of her overly handsome son-in-law and smiled. This was too important to wait to talk to her daughter first. "Congratulations, Lee!" and hugged him

"Thanks, Dotty.... Uhhh what is this about?" Lee had forgotten the bottle and wrappings on the table, focusing on the message it gave him.... until now. When he realized what his mother-in-law was talking about, Lee beamed.

"You must be so happy! When is the baby due?"

"Sometime in August, I guess." He calculated the time in his head, this was definitely a guess. He shook off most of the last fuzziness of sleep and a huge grin came across his face "I see you found Amanda's announcement."

"Yes such wonderful news, Lee. I am so happy for both of you." Dotty was gushing happiness.

"Thanks. You know, I finally feel like I'm home." Lee said.

"It's a great feeling, isn't it?"

"Yeah. It is."

Philip and Jamie King could be heard arguing upstairs and then tearing down the stairs. Dotty spoke up, "Philip, Jaime... your mother is trying to sleep."

"OK, Grandma," they called back in unison.

Lee had to laugh, if Amanda could sleep through the boys, she could sleep through anything. Lee knew that she didn't sleep that well last night despite the fatigue that she felt.

But, within minutes of the boys hitting the stairs, Amanda stood at the top of the stairs. She still looked sleepy, but there was peacefulness about her. Here was her family, safe. They had new scars, especially Lee after his car accident last summer, but everyone in this house was healthy and whole. Of course, Amanda didn't know that her mother knew of their impending arrival. She spoke up cheerfully, "Good morning" and embraced her husband warmly. 

"Amanda, dear, how are you feeling," Dotty asked with concern.

"Fine, Mother. Why?"

"Just asking, Amanda, just asking." But, by her mother's tone, Amanda knew that Dotty knew about the life growing inside her.

Lee looked at Amanda, Amanda looked at Lee. They both nodded. They had stopped trying to understand the silent communication that they had.

Amanda spoke first. " Philip, Jamie, Mother come and sit down. Lee and I have something very important to talk to you about." Lee decided to let his wife do most of the talking.

Philip and Jamie King looked at each other with a look that said, "we are in for it now". The problem was that they didn't remember doing anything **that** wrong in a while. Whatever they had done, it had to be pretty bad to get a family meeting before breakfast.

Lee held Amanda's hand as she continued, "We just wanted to tell you that this summer there will be a new member of this family."

Their responses to this news could not have been different. Dotty sat quietly, beaming and deep in thought. Philip and Jamie both yelled simultaneously, but with very different sentiments.

"All Right!!" Philip yelled. Not only were babies cool, they were real "babe magnets". His friend's mother had a baby last summer and now girls seemed to find an excuse to hang out at Bobby's house, and come to think of it, so did Phillip.

"Gross!!" Jamie yelled. Amanda had given them "the talk" some time ago and the thought of their parents, well... it grossed him out.

Dotty left the group to prepare breakfast for her growing family while the boys debated the pros and cons of a baby, late night feedings, diapers, and so on. They had questions, too. Boy or girl? Could they get a bigger house so they could have their own rooms? By the time breakfast was ready Philip calmed down and Jamie grew more comfortable with the whole idea.

Breakfasts in the King-Stetson household were animated affairs. They all complimented Dotty on the delicious meal. After everyone was finished eating, Lee got the boys to wash the dishes. Of course, it took a promise that Lee would take them out to the test track with his car, but Dotty and Amanda needed some peace and quiet.

Amanda led her mother into the dining room. "What's the matter, Mother? I thought that you would be happy Lee and I are pregnant."

"I am, Amanda. I have never seen you so happy than I have seen you with Lee. I'm being a little selfish, I guess. I haven't lived on my own in a long time. I think that I will like the quiet for a change." Dotty looked Amanda in the eye.

Amanda was confused. "Mother, what so you mean? No one is moving anywhere."

"Amanda, dear, there isn't enough room in this house as it is for all of us, and now a baby..." 

"Mother, as long as I live, and Lee too, you will have a place to live with us."

"Thank you, that's sweet. But I think that it's time I lived on my own again." Dotty was adamant.   


"MOTHER! I meant what I said." Amanda was upset at this point. "We don't have to really worry about this for a little while yet." The thought of Mother not living with them upset her.

Dotty was firm. She would look for her own place, starting Monday.

The morning passed by like most other Saturdays. Joe called mid-morning. He wanted to take the boys to a movie and keep them for the rest of the weekend. He would pick them up in time for lunch. While Lee was talking to Joe, he couldn't stop himself from telling his wife's ex-husband his good news. Lee had expected some sort of negative reaction; he and Joe had never gotten along. Instead, Joe seemed to be rather happy for them. With the boys out of the house until Sunday night, and Dotty had another date, Lee decided to take Amanda out for an early dinner.

They sat at Emilio's, talking about the baby and the boys. Lee saw a glow in his wife that he hadn't seen before. Amanda saw love and concern that she hadn't seen in him before. He was also scared to death. August wasn't that far off. He didn't have all that much time to learn about babies. On the drive home, Lee stopped at the bookstore. Amanda chose to wait in the car. When Lee came out twenty minutes later, he had 6 books on pregnancy and child growth and development. Amanda stifled a laugh and actually felt glad that he got the books. After all, it had been a long time since Jamie had been born and a lot had changed.

The rest of the ride home was spent in companionable silence with the radio on low. Lee wanted to get his wife home and get her into bed. After all, she needed her rest. Lee still desired his wife but, well, he couldn't put it into words, but he was terrified of hurting Amanda or the baby. Maybe August was a long way off. 

Amanda wanted to get into bed with her husband and not for immediate sleep. She put on her sexiest nightgown and refreshed her cologne. She came out of the bathroom to find her husband nervously flipping through a book on pregnancy. Again, she stifled a laugh. She walked over to their bed where her boxer clad husband was reading a section on sex during pregnancy. As she took the book from his hands, he saw him visibly relax. "Learn anything?" she asked him.

"Yes, maybe more than I needed to know." Lee took his wife's hand and gently pulled her down onto the bed and into his lap. They made love slowly and gently, expressing the joy they felt and the love they shared.

They never heard Dotty come in. She heard the muffled sounds coming from the bedroom and smiled. She felt better than ever about her decision to get a place of her own. It was time.

On Sunday, Dotty found one excuse after the other to stay out of the house; lunch date with Kurt, one day sales at the mall, dinner with friends. Lee and Amanda spent the day in each other's arms. They spent a lot of time talking about the future, their future. On Monday, the world would come back. They talked about how to make the announcement at work. Amanda needed to be out of the field now and they couldn't keep a pregnancy secret forever. Billy was easy, he understood family. They knew that he would be happy for his agents and friends. They knew that the rest of the Agency might see things differently.

To be continued.........


	3. The Agency

****

On Monday, the alarm rang at 6 AM. Lee rolled over and hit the snooze bar....five more minutes with his wife before life intruded. "Good morning, hon." he said to his sleepy wife. They needed to get to the Agency on time, today was a big day. 

"Good morn...." Amanda started. She was then hit with an incredible wave of nausea. Lee heard her in the bathroom and got out of bed. Part of him felt very guilty about the way she felt, after all he was half the reason she was pregnant. He rubbed her back, held back her hair and spoke softly to her while she threw up. It had been a long time since he had done this and the circumstances were entirely different then. He and Dorothy had celebrated a break in the case with entirely too much toasting. Two days later, she was dead. Since then, he was careful not to allow either himself or any woman he was with to get too drunk when together. He felt that he needed to have good memories, not memories of getting sick.

Amanda almost felt too sick to notice her husband. She didn't remember it being this bad with Phillip and Jamie. When she was pregnant for the boys, she rarely vomited, and then only after eating Chinese food.....this could be a long pregnancy. 

She turned to Lee and said, "I'm OK, sweetheart. Just a little nausea."

The worry in Lee's voice was palpable. "A little? Honey, you are calling you doctor **today**." He really could get a little "mother hennish" sometimes.

"Yes, Lee. I do need to make an appointment. I'll call from the office today. Don't worry, sweetheart, nausea is normal for me right now." Amanda could tell, however, that her attempt to reassure him wasn't working. As she turned on the shower, she turned to her husband and said, "Why don't you go start the coffee, sweetheart. I'll be down in a few minutes."

Lee turned off the alarm that was going off again, put on his robe and went downstairs to make the morning coffee. He decided on decaf, after all, caffeine was not good for the baby. It was going to be a long time until August. And, no matter what she said, sudden nausea like that just couldn't be normal.

He sat reading the morning paper and drinking his boring coffee - the bullpen's coffee pot would seeing his face more often. He could hear his sons, 'my sons...I like the thought of that', and his mother-in law (he even liked the thought of that) stirring and starting their day. After he was done reading the local news, Amanda came down the stairs. She was radiant. Lee thought that his wife glowed. What was it about pregnant women? They were all so beautiful. Of course, he didn't really noticed it until he fell in love with Amanda; but then he hadn't really given fatherhood much thought until after that day at the train station. He stood up and greeted his love with a kiss, "Good morning."

She returned his greeting and wrapped her arms around his neck. Footsteps on the stairs caused her to break their lip lock and gently bang her head against his chest. Lee quietly chuckled. The Q bureau, the field, now home. She almost regretted giving up his DC apartment, at least there they got all the privacy they could stand. 

"Gross," Jamie said under his breath as he entered the kitchen. He accepted that his mother was pregnant, but still thought that it was too gross for words.

"Shut up, dorkface!" Phillip countered.

"Good morning to you, too, Jamie, Phillip. And Phillip, don't call your brother a dorkface." Lee said with a smile. He remembered, vaguely, what it was like to be Jamie's age and knew that his step-son would come around. Lee kissed Amanda and went upstairs to shower and dress for work. 

With the boys off to school, Amanda and Lee settled into the 'Vette and headed to the office. Lee still missed the old 'Vette. This one was newer, faster and handled better than his last car but it still wasn't the same. Still, he survived the accident that had destroyed that car in July. A car, no matter how much he loved it, was a small price to pay to continue living this life. And he loved his life. He loved it all. His wife, his sons, the white picket fence, his mother-in-law, even the mortgage. 

Amanda looked at her husband. She saw a small smile light up her husband's features. "What's making you so happy, Scarecrow?"

"You," Lee answered without missing a beat. "I love you, you know."

"And I love you, too," was Amanda's reply.

The remainder of the morning commute was spent with small talk. The boys, their grades, the upcoming baseball season and, of course, the baby were all brought up to varying degrees. Lee loved these conversations the best. He knew in his mind that he now belonged to a real family; their talks confirmed it in his heart.

The bullpen was the usual flurry of Monday morning activity. Lee's first stop was the coffee pot. The coffee was never really good but at least it kept him awake. Next stop, the Monday morning staff meeting. There it was the usual hour and a half of international news, assassination attempts and new assignments. Lee and Amanda were given an assignment in which their cover was a married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stedman, looking to adopt a child. There were suspicions that the International Child Adoption Agency was using unsuspecting potential parents to smuggle secrets out of the country. Amanda felt uncomfortable with their written cover. Adoptions, even through international channels, took months to even get rolling. It would look rather unusual for a pregnant couple to try to adopt a baby. Lee saw the panic on his wife's face and squeezed her hand. He was telling her that everything would be all right.

They left the conference room and followed Billy into his office. Francine saw them holding hands. My, my, don't they ever get enough. One would think so, especially now that she was pregnant. This was getting very old very fast. Ever since they had gotten married, or at least once everyone knew about it, those two couldn't go five minutes without touching. It really aggravated her. Though she had to admit that there was probably some jealousy in there, too. If a man looked at her once the way Lee looked at Amanda all the time, Francine Desmond could die a happy woman.

Francine was also very anxious for them to announce their "little secret". Ever since she had overheard Amanda's conversation with her doctor on Friday, Francine had been dying to spread the news. She just didn't feel like dealing with Lee or Amanda if she spread the news too early. She had already offered her congratulations to them privately, before the staff meeting. It looked like they were going to tell Billy, so soon she could let the news spread. In truth, the distain she showed for their relationship was not real. It covered the jealousy she felt.

Lee closed the office door and drew the blinds on the office window. "What's the matter, Lee?" Billy asked, concerned.

"Billy, I need a new partner for this assignment." Lee said. Billy was very confused now. They had fought Dr. Smyth to keep their partnership. There had been so much fallout from Smyth's anger, his superior had fired him. According to the official report, Smyth was a loose cannon, a threat to national security. He was "let go" and stripped of his security clearance. The truth was that the President disliked Smyth intensely and Smyth's attempts to break up the best agent team that the Agency had ever seen was the last straw. Everyone thought the DC section ran better without Smyth around. Agents were allowed their personal lives now with intrusions only when national security demanded it, not when Dr. Smyth's whims swirled. The President himself drafted the order securing the partnership of Scarecrow and Glinda. Glinda was Amanda's new code name. Lee had suggested it; she worked magic over him. Francine had all she could do to stop from gagging at the sweetness that gushed from Lee's mouth when he had explained that. Billy's mind came back to the agent-couple seated in front of them. His confused expression forced Lee to continue without prompting.

"Well, Billy, Amanda needs to come out of the field for a while and it would look strange for a pregnant woman to fill out an application for adoption." Lee continued without missing a beat.

A wide grin crept across their boss's dark features. A laugh filled the room as he shook Lee's hand and hugged Amanda. "Congratulations !! When is the great arrival?"

"August, sir." Amanda replied. "Thank you, sir, for being so happy for us"

"You know, Amanda, before you, I could see this man on a path of self destruction." Billy pointed to Lee. "Now I see nothing but good things for him, for you both."

"Thank you, sir."

"Lee, how would you feel about Francine working with you on this one? Every other female agent has already assigned and Francine **has** been after me to use her for more field work."

"Francine and I did always work well together." Lee said. 'Not as well as Amanda and I' he thought, but he said, "OK."

Billy called Francine into the office. The section chief filled her in on the assignment and she readily agreed; Francine genuinely liked Lee and enjoyed working with him. She also respected him....and his partner and was glad that their relationship just wasn't some kind of "backgammon game" Lee had been so good at in the past. Billy also assigned Amanda to desk duty for the duration of her pregnancy. When their meeting was over, Francine went straight to the water cooler. She was in her element, now. Francine still remembered the looks on some of the steno pool girl's faces when she let it out that the rumors were true that Lee Stetson had married his housewife. For six months, she had heard the determined voice of more than one of these girls say that Lee could be lured away from Amanda, some had been even foolish enough to try. To his credit, Lee was always polite and gentlemanly. This should stop the attempts once and for all. It didn't matter how much Lee and Amanda made her feel sticky sweet, they were the best team Francine Desmond had ever met and it bothered her that those who thought they wanted Lee, only saw the old Lee, not the man he had become. they didn't deserve that, no one did. The first person Francine saw was Lila. She was just as bad a gossip as Francine, or worse. She also had it bad for Lee. This was going to be fun.

"Hey, Lila." Francine started. "Have you heard that Lee is going to be a daddy? Amanda's pregnant."

Lila dropped her cup of water, looked pale for a second and turned on her heel back to her desk. By the end of the work day, Lee and Amanda would be having twins or triplets and getting a divorce. One thread of rumor had Lee defecting to escape the responsibilities of fatherhood. Francine would fill Amanda in on the office gossip and she would actually get revenge. Nothing too nasty, after all this was Amanda. Her favorite revenge was fattening snacks. The steno pool would be receiving lots of cookies, cakes, and fudge from now on from Amanda. This is going to be fun, thought Francine as she went back to the bullpen to create her and Lee's new covers for their assignment.


End file.
